So looking at the pilot ability of the skill 8 bomber. it reads

Once per round after you discard an <EPT> upgrade card, flip that card face up.

So here are the EPTs that have discard mechanics (sorry about the different sizes, FFG forums doesn't allow images from some sites to be displayed here.

• Adrenalin rush
• Cool Hand
• Crackshot
• Lightning Reflexes

Lets take a look at them individually starting with the first one.

Now The TIE Defender is not the only one with a White K-Turn, You will never do a red maneuver again that means 2 hard is now open and your 5K is a white.

Sort of turns into a non PTL Soontir. Well you could put EI on him and give him mines to drop. OR just have it fly through debris clouds or pull the stress from a rebel captive.

Being one of the most recent EPTs that have made it to the top cut of worlds no doubt this would be one of the first upgrades everyone reaches for. Is it still good with only 2 firepower?

Last but not least the lightning reflexes. Sure you might be stressed but if you already have a target lock and they flew behind you you can use this to flip it around as if it were an S-loop or D-loop.

So which one will you use, and which one do you think will be used the most. Will any of these see the top cut in a regionals?

Lightning Reflexes, Tie Mk 2, Tie Shuttle, Mara and Tactition

Lightning reflexes and a Tactician in the pod could be really fun.

the bomber doesn't have two firepower

it has ordnance

(also yes, crackshot is great with two firepower because it compensates like crazy for it)

the bomber doesn't have two firepower

it has ordnance

(also yes, crackshot is great with two firepower because it compensates like crazy for it)

Indeed!

Also, Cool Hand + EI + Mines will be hilarious.

Besides that, Crackshot easily takes the cake, imo. It'll make the ship hit SO consistently, and will make Ordnance actually feel outstanding.

Cool hand and fleet officer

the bomber doesn't have two firepower

it has ordnance

(also yes, crackshot is great with two firepower because it compensates like crazy for it)

You could put him in a TIE Shuttle.

I am just confused about the wording of the pilot ability:

"Once per round after you discard an <EPT> upgrade card, flip that card face up."

Why not the same wording like the ordnance tubes:

"When you are instructed to discard a <torp> or <missiles> Upgrade card, do not discard it."

Sounds more logical to me. Is there something behind the wording we did not get?

Maybe they're planning effects that trigger when an EPT is discarded and didn't want this ability to remove that opportunity?

Maybe they're planning effects that trigger when an EPT is discarded and didn't want this ability to remove that opportunity?

Could be an option, but unilkely

Maybe they're planning effects that trigger when an EPT is discarded and didn't want this ability to remove that opportunity?

Could be an option, but unilkely

How do we know this is unlikely? While I'll be the first to admit we haven't a clue about the likelihood or unlikelihood of triggers like this to occur, it's a bit unfair to call it "unlikely."

DailyRich's idea is a good one, I think, but I'd attribute it to something a bit simpler: the designers don't want to lock themselves into smaller design space. Maybe they haven't thought of any ideas at all for the timing when an EPT is discarded, but that's no reason to word the Pilot Ability to prevent such a thing.

PTL and Cool hand, long range scanners and ordnance seems like that should give you all the actions you will need . But all the discard epts are good, so this guy just seems super fun and diverse.

Maybe they will come out with a defensive ept, flip it over so that you can't use it when getting attacked more than once ..

Cool hand and fleet officer

Survivable fleet buffing... and still fairly cheap. I think I rather like it.

And for our other Bombers receiving an EPT, Wired and Fleet Officer combo nicely as well.

I am just confused about the wording of the pilot ability:

"Once per round after you discard an <EPT> upgrade card, flip that card face up."

Why not the same wording like the ordnance tubes:

"When you are instructed to discard a <torp> or <missiles> Upgrade card, do not discard it."

Sounds more logical to me. Is there something behind the wording we did not get?

To prevent players from touching themselves too much with cool hands.

I like Cool Hand if you can reliably stress yourself, like with Fleet Officer, or Experimental Interface.

I want to like Adrenaline Rush, but then what?

- Action bombs are much better when you're low PS

- You can TL or focus for ordnance which will be fired usually unmodifed.

- Support Crew generally won't need you to be pulling red moves everywhere.

Crackshot is brutal

Lightning reaction gives interesting movement options, but still falls in the "okay now what?" category that Adrenaline Rush does.

At least for me.

PTL and Cool hand, long range scanners and ordnance seems like that should give you all the actions you will need . But all the discard epts are good, so this guy just seems super fun and diverse.

You can't have ptl and cool hand at the same time, unless you're an awing ace

I am just confused about the wording of the pilot ability:

"Once per round after you discard an <EPT> upgrade card, flip that card face up."

Why not the same wording like the ordnance tubes:

"When you are instructed to discard a <torp> or <missiles> Upgrade card, do not discard it."

Sounds more logical to me. Is there something behind the wording we did not get?

Well - think back to Captain Yorr... and some of the stressy abilities - like Lt. Lorrir or Opportunist... "You may recieve a stress token to do X" - Captain Yorr prevents you from really receiving the stress (since he receives it instead) - so those abilities don't actually trigger when you send the stress to Yorr! Soontir's ability doesn't even trigger, since he never receives the stress !

So - what happens with your wording?

"When you are instructed to discard a <torp> or <missiles> Upgrade card, do not discard it."

Combined with Crackshot

"When attacking a ship inside your firing arc, you may discard this card to cancel 1 of the defender's evade results."

Well, the trigger for the discard goes off, and then you may discard the card - but then you don't discard it, and since you didn't discard the card - you don't get to cancel 1 of the defenders evade results.

Just as receiving a stress is a kind of "cost" to pay for an effect, discarding the card is a kind of cost to pay for the effect. The wording as is definitely allows you to pay the cost of discarding.

In a way - it's possible that missile tubes are broken as written! consider "Attack [Focus]: Discard this card to perform this attack." Though the intent is clear - there's also the definition of the attack header - and you're already committed to the attack - and it's an effect of performing the attack? I don't know - but that's my guess.

I want to like Adrenaline Rush, but then what?

- Action bombs are much better when you're low PS

- You can TL or focus for ordnance which will be fired usually unmodifed.

- Support Crew generally won't need you to be pulling red moves everywhere.

I say TL, because....Homing Missiles! If you guys haven't played Tie Bombers much, then you don't realize how awesome the 5 K-turn is on a Tie Bomber. It's very useful as the thing really can't turn around. Against arc dodgers, you really need the K-turn to lose a turn of fighting, but get into a better spot.

Also, Proton Torps and Concussion Missiles do have some built in action economy. Not as good as Homing, but hey, it is some.

I say Adrenaline Rush is a contender.

Crackshot.....ohhhhh....this one is good! I just keep thinking of all the ways to use this. My first thoughts are firing at Stealth Device Soontir with a Homing Missile (and a Focus due to LRS). So...you get 4 red dice with a Focus and a TL to use to modify. They can't use an evade token. You can reduce one of their evades. Man! What's not to love?

There are a lot of other uses, too, though. Even just against anything, it's good. Y-wings do occasionally get that evade result. Bro Bots have that 3 evade. Autothrusters are less of an issue. Poe Dameron isn't as hot if you knock off one evade. Same for the future Ezra. So many ships will hate that.

Even with just 2 red dice, this is good. I mean, you have an even have a better chance to hit. Or.....if you have R2-3 ordnance, and they get in R1....you have 3 red dice! Not bad to use even then.

Crack Shot is most often better than +1 attack die.

If your opponent cancels any of your (Hit) or (CRIT) results, without doing so with more than 2 evade results, CS is straight up +1 damage.

Now do that with every attack.... yeah

I Love this pilot. I also think Crackshot is probably the best option at the moment, but I love how there are a ton of different use cases here.

Consider a loaded up Tomax, also a loaded up Rhymer, and toss in a support Jonus shuttle

Tomax Bren (24)
Crack Shot (1)
Plasma Torpedoes (3)
Extra Munitions (2)
Advanced Homing Missiles (3)

Captain Jonus (22)
Wingman (2)
Fleet Officer (3)
Mara Jade (3)
TIE Shuttle (0)

Major Rhymer (26)
Veteran Instincts (1)
Extra Munitions (2)
Plasma Torpedoes (3)
Advanced Homing Missiles (3)
Seismic Charges (2)

Total: 100

View in Yet Another Squad Builder

I am just confused about the wording of the pilot ability:

"Once per round after you discard an <EPT> upgrade card, flip that card face up."

Why not the same wording like the ordnance tubes:

"When you are instructed to discard a <torp> or <missiles> Upgrade card, do not discard it."

Sounds more logical to me. Is there something behind the wording we did not get?

To prevent abuse should they ever make an upgrade giving him two EPT's, like A-Wing Test Pilot.

I still say Jonus is a weak point. Just drop him and go with Homing Missiles for everyone else.

I say:

Tomax Bren (24)
Crack Shot (1)
Extra Munitions (2)
Homing Missiles (5)

Seismic Charges (2) -optional

That's 32 pts without Seismic Charges. That's not a bad ship at all. 4 red dice w/ TL and no Evade? If you want to use LRS you can make sure you have a Focus, too. After his two missiles are gone, he then has 2 red dice with a free Crackshot every turn and PS 8.

I am just confused about the wording of the pilot ability:

"Once per round after you discard an <EPT> upgrade card, flip that card face up."

Why not the same wording like the ordnance tubes:

"When you are instructed to discard a <torp> or <missiles> Upgrade card, do not discard it."

Sounds more logical to me. Is there something behind the wording we did not get?

To prevent abuse should they ever make an upgrade giving him two EPT's, like A-Wing Test Pilot.

Alternatively, to prevent Crack Shot from effecting both attacks from Cluster Missiles.